Primeval 3.5

Spoilers...

I really, really liked last Saturday's episode of Primeval. So the funky mutant fungus/mold men were among the less believable creatures in the show's history (the walrus-like thingys from series 2...can't remember which ep...are the absolute dumbest IMO!!)? The pace of the episode really worked for me, and it was packed top to bottom with tons of humor. Lester (Ben Miller) was on fire this episode. It starts right at the beginning with when he asks Becker (Ben Mansfield) to pistol-whip Danny (Jason Flemyng) for being a smart-aleck after they catch him breaking into the ARC all the way through to his long-suffering tolerance of Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) crashing at work. I couldn't believe it when he actually offered Connor the keys to his downtown flat - that moment was priceless! Could Lester have a heart?! ;-) His flash of generosity was only topped by his smug pleasure in one-upping Christine's (Belinda Stuart Wilson) attempts to maneuver one of her team members into the ARC as Cutter's replacement. Undercutting that power grab by appointing Danny was well played indeed.

Speaking of Danny, I thought this was his best episode yet. Flemyng really seemed to be relishing the campy adventure factor and just having a rollicking good time in front of the camera. Sure, Danny's a bit pushy, but I like his devil-may-care bravado and willingness to do, well, whatever it takes in order to get involved with the ARC team. He's a more active version of the Cutter we saw in the 1st three episodes of this series run. As to his qualifications - well, when it comes down to it, Dr. Page (Laila Rouass) is the only one remotely qualified academically speaking, and while she had a decent presence in this episode she has yet to be given enough screen time to really justify her role on the show IMO. Apparently all it takes to be a member of the ARC team is sheer grit and fearlessness, which Danny seems to have in spades. So Connor and Abby (Hannah Spearritt) are way too easily accepting of his involvment - I really didn't care. Maybe they sense a kindred spirit (i.e., we don't know what we're doing, just making this up as we go along, etc.).

This brings me to the Danny-Jenny (Lucy Brown) factor. Danny appears very willing to replace Cutter in Jenny's life, which is played rather sweetly in my view. However, Jenny's having NONE of that - which I kind of respect her for - and after barely surviving death by mold we get our second departure of the series. Shockingly enough, this one nearly brought a tear to my eye. I really liked the fact that Jenny left the ARC on her own terms. And while her last look around the office was the stuff all great departure cliches are made of, I ate up every second. All that was missing was having her walk out of the building to a flipping slow clap from the rest of the team. THAT would've been priceless!!

In summation, I am really quite pleased with this episode and with the direction of the third series thus far. The departures have been rather wrenching, but I like how they've brought some additional emotional depth to the team members' relationships.

Primeval 3.4

Yes, I know, still haven't caught up on the Primeval blogging. *sigh* ;-)

Spoilers...

Episode 4 marks the first episode without Cutter (Douglas Henshall) *SOB*, and somewhat to my surprise I really liked it. This show (so far, anyway) has done a very good job handling the impact of characters' deaths on those who remain behind. It's acknowledged, it actually appears to matter, but they don't dwell on the point at the expense of moving forward with the story. This episode brought us two great examples in Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) and Jenny's (Lucy Brown) respective reactions to Cutter's death. Connor really appears to feel the weight of Cutter's last words ("it's on you now") and really wants to do good work. Now being Connor he is still going to screw up, but he's so dang cute one can't help pulling for him. LOL!

This ep had some excellent Connor/Abby (Hannah Spearritt) angst as well. It's a very solid indication that maybe, just maybe, their relationship will get somewhere...someday...for two seconds (I'm getting desperate, people!). Connor's reaction to the phone call from Abby's little brother (question - is it weird that he didn't know she had a little brother apparently?) about giving her a night out was priceless!!

Jenny's reaction is a bit wrenching. She's clearly living with "what might have been's" and deeply regrets never telling Cutter how she felt about him. The question is, can she handle working at a Cutter-less ARC? She's professional and driven as always but clearly it's a struggle. You know she's not quite herself when she can't keep Danny Quinn (Jason Flemyng) in line. Speaking of Danny - I really liked his character in this ep. Now that he's come to terms with the fact that something from an anomaly killed his brother, he's fully embraced the idea of working with the ARC - whether they like it or not. His rather laid-back, devil-may-care attitude is a refreshing change to throw into the established dynamic of the team. I think he's going to bring a breath of fresh air to the show (and annoy Lester, which will really make my day). ;-) How can you not love a guy who'll commandeer a helicopter after only two "unbelievably fantastic" flying lessons to fight off a dinosaur? Seriously!! Plus he's really hot when he's wearing black and riding a motorcycle. Just sayin'... ;-)

Lester (Ben Miller) is quickly becoming my favorite character of the season. His scenes never fail to crack me up. He's got the extreme "stiff upper lip" thing going on, so it's absolutely freaking hilarious watching him attempt to keep his frustrations under control. I LUV how Christine-the-witch's character (Belinda Stuart Wilson) brings out this sort of protective team player side of his personality. It's perfectly okay for him to throw around sarcastic remarks about the ARC crew, but if an outsider does it, well that's crossing THE LINE, people. LOL! I'm getting VERY curious about how Christine got her own anomaly set up and what exactly it is she's trying to accomplish. Speaking of Christine, I'm a little worried about Becker (Ben Mansfield) since he apparently one of her military team members was an instructor of his at Sandhurst. Note to Becker: Learn from Stephen's example and don't let yourself be emotionally blackmailed!! I'm getting too much of a kick out of the Connor-Becker team dynamic to want Becker gone anytime soon (the nerd versus the G.I. Joe type is too funny).

The G-Rex in this episode is a really prime example of how good the CGI-effects can be on this show. It works best when they're recreating a dinosaur instead of a futuristic creature IMO. I love seeing the G-Rex rampage around the airplane hangar and in relation to the 747...very nicely done IMO. I'm not going to even COMMENT on the stupid reporters because they just get on my last nerve (note to reporter dude, GET A FREAKING HAIRCUT!). I almost forgot, though, the Crocodile Hunter-type filmmaker the annoying reporter people brought to the anomaly - that guy had the animal show-host type nailed. Quite funny when prehistoric creatures are involved, ya know?

I guess that about covers my thoughts on this episode of the show. Of course it will take a few more episodes for the fallout of Cutter's absence to really be felt, but I have high hopes for the show's future. I'm still mulling over just a bit why Cutter's death hasn't had a greater impact on my view of Primeval...but that is subject to change at any moment, I suppose! The showrunners need to keep in mind, however, that Lester's character is my line in the sand...kill off Lester and I will be crushed, do you hear me, CRUSHED!! ;-) Hopefully I'll get my thoughts on episode 5 up this week...we'll see. LOL!

Review: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

The Case of the Missing Marquess (Enola Holmes Mysteries #1)
By: Nancy Springer
Publisher: Sleuth Puffin
ISBN: 978-0-14-240933-6

About the book:

When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly sets off to find her. Disguising herself as a widow, Enola embarks on a journey to London, but nothing can prepare her for what awaits. For when she arrives, she finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, and must flee murderous villains and try to elude her shrewd older brothers – all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother’s strange disappearance. Among all the mayhem, will Enola be able to discover the necessary clues and find her mother?

Review:

Women have always upset Sherlock Holmes’s equilibrium (see Irene Adler from the original short stories or Mary Russell from Laurie R. King’s fantastic mystery series). Holmes’s family background is one aspect of his life that has received scant, if any, attention in the various Holmes pastiches that have appeared over the years. In the first Enola Holmes mystery, Nancy Springer dares to imagine a most unconventional mother and much-younger sister for the famed detective, both highly unconventional women well capable of throwing his order-loving world slightly off-kilter.

Fourteen-year-old Enola has never known her considerably older brothers. She’s lived a relatively secluded life with her mother on the family estate, convinced her brothers want nothing to do with her because of the gossip surrounding the fact that she was an “unexpected” addition to the family. However, all of Enola’s assumptions about her life and family change when her birthday arrives and her mother vanishes. When Sherlock and Mycroft descend on the estate in search of their wayward parent, Enola discovers the family dynamic is far more complicated than she’d ever surmised. And while she craves a relationship with her brothers, Enola quickly realizes that she has little desire to acquiesce to their plans for her future – and if their mother is to be found, she must be the one to do the finding. Armed with her mother’s last gift – a cryptic book of ciphers – Enola sets out to make her way in the world and finds herself in more danger than she could’ve possibly imagined, needing all her untapped skill as a member of the Holmes clan in order to survive.

The character of Enola is an absolute gem. She’s got spunk and gumption, and as a woman has a special set of skills and insight that her famous brother lacks, thanks to his rather dim view of the “fairer” sex (my favorite Sherlock quote is when he refers to Enola’s “limited cranial capacity” – ouch!). Springer includes lots of interesting info about ciphers and the language of flowers, the knowledge of which helps set Enola apart from her family and make up her own special skill set. The Missing Marquess is an all-too quick, but thoroughly absorbing read. Springer packs a lot of atmosphere and detail into each chapter, resulting in one of the best YA reads I’ve come across. I cannot wait to discover the further adventures of the one and only Enola Holmes!

Anyone watching Royal Pains?

So I'm curious, is anyone watching Royal Pains Thursday nights on USA? I thought I'd give it a shot since all of my regularly scheduled scripted programs are on hiatus until the fall. Plus, it follows Burn Notice (talk about a KILLER lead-in). In case you're not familiar with the premise of the show, it follows Dr. Hank Lawson (played by Mark Feuerstein) when he falls into the plum job of becoming a concierge doctor to the wealthy at the Hamptons, after being fired from his job as an ER doctor when a hospital patron died on his watch. Basically, he's a mix of MacGyver and Michael Westen from Burn Notice, only blander. Feuerstein comes across as likable enough, but I am just not connecting with the whole premise of the show. Perhaps this is because it's been called Burn Notice, M.D., one too many times - and in my opinion, falls FAR short by comparison. So, any Royal Pains fans out there that are connecting with this show better than I am? I realize only two episodes have aired, but if this show is working for you, let me know what I'm missing. ;-) (I should mention that the presence of Campbell Scott in the pilot and Andrew McCarthy in last night's episode are marks in the show's favor...small marks, but marks nonetheless!)

The Literary ABCs

I got this literary-themed meme from my friend Kaye.

List your favorite...

Austen (Jane) novel: Pride and Prejudice

Brontë sister’s novel: Jane Eyre

Clancy or Crichton novel and/or movie: Though I've heard it's nothing like the book, I really like the movie Timeline.

Dickens novel and/or film: This is a tough one...it's going to probably be a tie between the recent miniseries versions of Bleak House and Little Dorrit.

English class you took: Tragedies of Shakespeare (thank you, Dean McDaniel!)

Frequently read author: Georgette Heyer

Grisham novel and/or movie: Not really a fan...

Historical novel or era*: World War II era, hands down. Harder to choose a favorite book...I'll go with Vienna Prelude by Brock & Bodie Thoene to represent all of their WWII era novels.

Iconic fictional character: Sherlock Holmes

James Joyce or Henry James? Henry James

King in literature (i.e., a character who’s a king, real or fictional): King David

Lord of the Rings character: Aragorn, with Faramir a distant 2nd. ;-)

Movie made from classic literature: This is a tough category...for something different, I'll go with the modern version of Much Ado About Nothing from the ShakespeaRe-Told film series.

Newberry Medal–winning book: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (1985)

Oldest book you own (not necessarily “favorite,” just oldest): That honor goes to a book called Familiar Quotations given to me by my grandmother (mom's side), from 1883.

Pirate in literature: Captain Blood (from the novel of the same name by Rafael Sabatini)

Quiet place to read: In bed

Robin Hood version (which film/TV series?): The first version I ever saw of this story is far and away still my #1 favorite - the Errol Flynn film The Adventures of Robin Hood. The BBC television series would be #2, with the Disney film a distant 3rd.

Shakespeare play or poem: Much Ado About Nothing or Twelfth Night or The Tempest or King Lear or The Merchant of Venice or I could go on and on but I guess I'll stop now... ;-)

Twain (Mark) novel/story/essay: "The Invalid's Story" (short story)

USA Today Bestseller: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

Villain: Oh what the heck, I'll go with Voldemort.

Walt Whitman or William Wordsworth? Going to go with Wordsworth here because I H-A-T-E Whitman (except that poem he wrote in honor of Lincoln...that one is nice).

Xanthippe (an ill-tempered woman, a shrew): Katharina from Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew

Yawn-inducing bedtime read: Most recently, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Zealously protected book you’ll never part with: This is another tough choice. I'll go with my first edition copy of A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. I LOVE the cover on the first edition and for sentimental reasons I just can't bear to part with it, even though I have copies of the newer editions (this is one of my FAVORITE novels, in case you couldn't tell!). ;-)

If you complete this meme, be sure to come back and leave a link to your post in the comments section!

Review: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly
By: Alex Flinn
Publisher: Harper Teen

ISBN: 978-0-06-087418-6

About the book:

I am a beast.

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright – a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever – ruined – unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly…beastly.

Review:

On my friend Natalie’s recommendation (and because I’m a sucker for retold fairy tales) I picked up Beastly by Alex Flinn, a modern retelling of – you guessed it – the Beauty and the Beast story. Seeing as it’s a contemporary version, and from the teenage Beast’s perspective, no less, I wasn’t really sure how much I’d like the book’s premise. Thankfully any reservations I had were completely unfounded as I thoroughly enjoyed Flinn’s take on this classic story (the tone reminded me somewhat of the film 10 Things I Hate About You). The book’s appeal lies in how Flinn manages to retain key elements of the classic tale (Beast living in isolation who prizes roses, father giving up daughter for his freedom, girl living as the Beast’s captive) and makes them work in a modern setting. If you’ve seen the Disney film, or read either the fairy tale or Robin McKinley’s fantastic retellings (Beauty and Rose Daughter), you know the gist of the story. What sets Beastly apart is its modern setting and male point of view. Flinn sets quite a challenge for herself with her beast-to-be – Kyle, the “prince” of his exclusive prep school, is a royal jerk. Just a head’s up, there’s a little bit of language and teenage promiscuity is alluded to in Beastly, but it’s definitely in keeping with Kyle’s character and there’s nothing explicit. Sure, he’s only a high school freshman, but he’s so self-absorbed and mean-spirited, it seems impossible to think you’ll ever like, never mind actually cheer, for his character. However, Kyle’s transformation into Adrian, the more likable, sympathetic person that emerges during his time as a beast, is actually quite believably done, with only fleeting instances where the POV wasn’t quite convincingly male. A fun touch illustrating Kyle’s growth is transcripts from the “Unexpected Changes” online support group. There Kyle meets characters like the Frog Prince and the Little Mermaid, and it’s a lot of fun to see how he goes from being completely self-absorbed and belligerent to a supportive friend towards others suffering from unwanted transformations. I absolutely LOVED Flinn’s characterization of the witch, and how she has this prickly relationship with Kyle/Adrian, and is his advocate well before he won over this reader. The character of Lindy is a refreshing romantic interest for the beast. She’s an atypical “beauty” in desperate need of happiness and affirmation, and her strengths and weaknesses complement the Kyle/Adrian’s growth arc quite well. In a culture where tremendous importance is placed on looks, there’s a sweet and much-needed message embedded in Beastly’s pages about the source of true beauty and the joy of being known and loved for one’s inner self.

Primeval 3.3

...or, OMG I still can't believe they did that!

Serious spoilers ahead, do not cross line here...

I know I'm really late in blogging about last Saturday's episode of Primeval, but what can I say, I'm still emotionally scarred. And I KNEW what was coming (thank you, Lori!). I never met a spoiler I couldn't stay away from, what can I say?

Let's just get right to the point, shall we? I know that British shows don't hold back and when it comes to casting changes, nothing is sacred. They are always willing to change things up, to do the unexpected...but I really didn't expect them to knock off Cutter (Douglas Henshall) in the series' overall 16th episode! I'm just not sure the man was given his due, especially since the main antagonist is his own ex-wife, Helen (Juliet Aubrey).

Rest in peace, Cutter...SOB!!

There was a lot that I liked about this episode...the creatures that came through the anomaly at the hospital were too freaking adorable, and I'm awfully glad two of them will be rooming with Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) and Abby (Hannah Spearritt). The first half of the episode was a nice showcase for Potts's, and even Henshall's, comedic talents. The way Connor interacts with Becker (Ben Mansfield) is really funny, especially when he can't even remember the new guy's name! And having Cutter and Abby assist a woman who's been freaked out by the mole-like dinos was really fun - especially because Cutter is so out of his element. *wink*

The reporter guy from the 2nd series "mammoth on the freeway" episode is back, and he annoys me so much I'm not going to even bother to look up his name. Seriously, does the guy have a mop on his head or something?! And he is so freaking WHINY, I just want to smack him. I'm really hoping his stint on the show will be of short duration.

Helen is back, and in a big way obviously. She's such a fantastic villian...definitely in my top 5 most hated villains of all time. Maybe top 3...I seriously loathe that woman. But I want her hair! (Sorry for the A.D.D. moment there...)

Anyways, it annoys me just a bit that Helen ALWAYS got the drop on Cutter, so to speak. I know they hadn't been a couple in quite sometime, but still, she could read him way too easily, always staying several steps ahead. Cutter was always too reactive where she was concerned for my liking...poor guy! *SOB* So this episode gave us Cutter and Cutter Clone (a bit like Spock and Spock Prime, HA!!), and Helen spinning some yarn about how the work Cutter's doing at the ARC is the reason humanity will go to hell on a freight train, so she has to stop him and that's why she's raided the ARC, blah blah blah. If this show has taught me anything, it's that you should never EVER believe a word that comes from Helen's mouth. Personally I think her whole story was because she knew it was the type of thing to get to Cutter, because Helen doesn't have an altruistic bone in her body. That and the fact that Helen is a class A kook and a SERIOUS stalker...she doesn't like rejection and so I think she's driven to destroy men who don't fall in line with her plans (i.e. stupid Stephen!!).

Now, the whole thing about who did Helen actually shoot, Cutter or Cutter Clone, is vague enough that it's POSSIBLE Douglas Henshall might come back at some point - however, I will tell you thanks to my inability to avoid spoilers, Henshall's not coming back this season. It's an open door, though. Especially if Helen's cloning technology is better than she thinks, and Cutter Clone survives and develops consciousness and freewill, etc.

I think Connor, Lester (Ben Miller), and Jenny (Lucy Brown) had some of their best moments in this episode. When Cutter gives Connor charge of the anomaly artifact (anomaly maker?) and tells him that it's on him now, it was a nice little "passing the torch" moment. Connor showed a lot of growth and maturity in this episode, first when he runs inside the burning ARC to retrieve Cutter's body (who the heck could've guessed he was that strong - LOL!), and two when he accepts Cutter's charge...he'll always be a bit goofy, but I think losing Cutter amounts to losing a big brother or father figure, and it's going to hit Connor's life in a big way. Lester and Cutter have ALWAYS been at odds, and while Lester would rather boil in oil than show emotion and shows appreciation or praise only under EXTREME duress, you just knew he was gobsmacked by Cutter's death in the way he was standing around screaming for an ambulance. Poor Lester...note to ITV, if you ever kill off Lester I might have to quit watching this show. Thanks. And last but certainly not least, poor Jenny. The whole Claudia/Jenny thing has been quite a roller coaster ride, but dangit Claudia/Jenny and Cutter were MEANT to be together!! It just broke my heart when Jenny started going on about how there was something she had meant to tell Cutter, and now she never would be able to (there's a lesson here, folks!). So very, very sad. Cutter and Claudia/Jenny will go down as one of the great television romance tragedies of all time in my book...they were so good together, only to have stupid Helen wreck it all! *sigh*

So while the door is open to Cutter's possible return, whether or not I actually care about him returning depends on how the new assortment of cast members "gel" over the rest of this season. Dr. Page (Laila Rouass) got to do some nifty sound editing work in this episode, but I think Becker's character is being better developed, with a tad more screentime, and he says less so that's saying something. They've got to figure out more for Rouass to do in an episode. And I will never, ever complain about more Becker screentime, unless he just gets really stupid all of a sudden. :-)

Breathe by Lisa T. Bergren

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Breathe
(David C. Cook; New edition June 1, 2009)
by
Lisa T. Bergren


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa T. Bergren is the best-selling, award winning author of over thirty books, with more than 1.5 million copies sold. A former publishing executive, she now splits her time between writing and freelance editing and parenting her three young children with her husband Tim. She lives in Colorado Springs.

ABOUT THE BOOK

To make a new life, she'll have to learn how to breathe again...

By the time Dominic and Moira St. Clair get their ailing sister, Odessa, to Colorado Springs in the winter of 1883, she is nearly dead. Odessa has been seriously aling for the past year from consumption, an illness that claimed the lives of four of her younger brothers, prompting her father, to send his only surviving children west to chase the cure.

Moira is beautiful and dangerously headstrong; and pugnacious Dominic is charged with establishing a new arm of the family business--a business he doesn't want.
Several days after her arrival, Odessa witnesses what she fears is the murder of miner Sam O’Toole, friend and neighbor to the charming Bryce McAllan.

What’s more, Sam leaves her a poem containing clues that seem to direct her to his mine, which is purported to carry a fantastic vein of silver. But if she is ever to rise from her bed again, she must first concentrate on conquering the giant that threatens her─consumption. Indeed, she must learn to breathe again─daring to embrace her life, her future, and hope in her God.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Breathe, go HERE